---
product_id: 1515272
title: "Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China Paperback – December 8, 2006"
brand: "paul theroux"
price: "₪92"
currency: ILS
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/1515272-riding-the-iron-rooster-by-train-through-china-paperback-december
store_origin: IL
region: Israel
---

# Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China Paperback – December 8, 2006

**Brand:** paul theroux
**Price:** ₪92
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China Paperback – December 8, 2006 by paul theroux
- **How much does it cost?** ₪92 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.il](https://www.desertcart.co.il/products/1515272-riding-the-iron-rooster-by-train-through-china-paperback-december)

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- paul theroux enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Scattered Oases of Enjoyment
  

*by C***. on Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2014*

Theroux shares with us many of the experiences he had as he traveled all through the different parts and different trains of China and also gives colorful, often laugh-out-loud commentary to accompany these experiences. Of course he retells his experiences with normal people he meets along the way, but he has a knack for landing interviews with some interesting high-society socialites and politicians and sharing these as well.  These interviews - if recounted correctly - give a very interesting view of the state of China right before it really begins its dramatic rise to power in the 1990s. Especially of interest was Theroux's seeming obsession with the Cultural Revolution and gathering people's accounts and feelings about it.  Some of these accounts are very fascinating.However, as the title indicates, these oases of fascinating accounts are often littered with somewhat dull accounts that made the book feel too long (in fact at nearly 500 pages for the paperback version, I might argue it WAS too long). Some parts dragged and at that point I would check what percentage I was finished (read it on Kindle) and couldn't believe how long it took to progress even 1%. I found myself doing a skimming/skipping combo at these parts. Particularly from about halfway through the book until the concluding Tibet part it seemed to take a long time. On that, the concluding part on getting to Tibet and Tibet itself was one of the more interesting parts, and probably saved this from being a two-star review.Also, maps should have been added to the book. It became very confusing to understand where he was journeying which may have defused the ability to imagine yourself riding and experiencing 1980s China with him. Perhaps there is a map in the paper copy, but in the Kindle version, no such map is readily accessible. This could be one of the reasons that it seemed to drag at parts; you start to get the "why should I care?" feeling about the writing.People particularly interested in China - particularly a close-up, qualitative, at times very humorous look at Chinese society during the transition period of agricultural collective to the economic powerhouse - will perhaps enjoy this more relaxed account of a foreigner traveling in China as it is. But there are other books you should probably read first if you want something a little more serious (for example "My First Trip to China: Scholars, Diplomats and Journalists Reflect on their First Encounters with China").For people with just a mere passing interest in China, it is too bad there is not an edited-down 200-300 page version. That would be more enjoyable. In its current state, I would say skip it or be prepared to skip parts.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Read it at least once a year
  

*by S***U on Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2021*

Yes, I am a Paul Theroux fan. And proud of it. I might not want to sit across from him on a train or bus or plane but I can sink back into his travel books and not look up for hundreds of pages. Have I read this before? Yes, of course. Many times. And so should you. He doesn't serve as the press arm for a travel junket so we get the real raw look in through the window. He's hilarious in his insults--but that's not just for China and the Chinese people. He's unbiased in his open dislike of his fellow travelers. Maybe he's changed now--but this book captures his outright loathing and disgust in open glory. (''Everyone hawked, everyone spat, sometimes dribbling, sometimes in a trajectory that ran like candlewax down the side of a spittoon. . . . They walked scuffingly, sort of skating, with their arms flapping, with narrow jogging shoulders, or else hustling puppetlike, with their limbs jerking. They minced, they plodded, they pushed, keeping their hands out - straight-arming their way -and their heads down. They could look entirely graceless -unexpected in Chinese.'')The NY Times said: "Riding the Iron Rooster'' is Mr. Theroux's account of a journey that would drive most people insane." Glad he took and I can read about it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    I loved it!
  

*by T***N on Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2016*

Paul Theroux is a master writer and this observation is a very entertaining read.  His journey begins in Europe as he takes the transAsiatic train to an area where he can turn south and pass through Mongolia and eventually into China where the true subject of the book begins; suffice to say the reader is in for a major treat.Theroux passes through the most significant regions of China; his descriptions, particularly of his fellow passengers will delight some and almost anger others.  As any readers to Theroux's books know he does not query his verbiage when describing the people in whose country he is passing through.  He is at his best when describing the passengers with whom he must share his cabin or his dining room car.The reader cannot but realise that Theroux is confronted frequently by references to the Cultural Revolution and Mao's death throughout the journey in China; both of these tumultuous events had occurred in resent Chinese history.  He makes no apologies for his distaste of both; they form a stage curtin for his entire journey.Consequently I found his descriptions of his final destination, Tibet, to be sweet, dare I say when dealing with Teroux's written language virtually beautiful to the extent you might need to return to the passages for a re-read.  This Theroux book is worth putting aside, leaving for some years anthem returning; it is that good

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*Product available on Desertcart Israel*
*Store origin: IL*
*Last updated: 2026-03-14*